How we Found the Best Crossover Cars

The crossover segment is booming lately and it's easy to see why. They're big enough for families, can take rough roads, and still give you the feel of a car. Not to mention, they generally have many safety features. In the September issue of Good Housekeeping, we reveal the 6 best crossovers in our test of 19 popular models.

Erik Eibert

Testing on these cars began 6 months ago when we hiked out to Detroit to partner with our brother publication, Car & Driver. We let its track pros test acceleration, braking, cornering ability, and interior noise levels. Based on the feedback we've been getting from our readers over the years, fellow engineer, Rachel Rothman, and I developed tests to determine how well cars do at things that address their concerns in the real world. We took cars for a spin to judge how they well they handle the road and assessed visibility, ease of parking, smoothness, and fuel economy.

We also weighed the softer aspects of owning a car that are so important to drivers but are rarely reported on. We synced phones with the vehicles' infotainment systems, followed directions offered by their navigation systems, and buried ourselves in the voice commands. We folded rear seats, installed car seats, and analyzed the functionality of storage layout. Headroom, legroom, and hip room, in both the front and the rear, came under our scrutiny and not when we first sat down behind the wheel, but after over an hour of driving. We took note of obstructions like that annoying center "bump" in the rear, and loaded up trunks with boxes, groceries and luggage.

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